Former LSU Star Mondo Duplantis Proves Why He Is The Tiger Woods of Pole Vaulting With Historic Xiamen Diamond League Performance

An inexorable juggernaut named Mondo Duplantis, a much needed messiah in pole vaulting, is here to stay. The magnificence of Mondo Duplantis resonates and will continue to do so in the coming events, as he already stepped up for the 2024 Xiamen Diamond League. The Swedish-American pole vaulter bested all the champions in history and crossed the 60m barrier a record 60 times. At 15, he achieved the World Youth Championships title and pledged to carry his legacy forward. The world is feeling the heat even now, especially after his recent feat.

Hailing from Louisiana, the 24-year-old amassed the Gatorade Louisiana Boys Track & Field Athlete of the Year after bagging both indoor and outdoor national freshman records. When he was in his best form, he has been christened as the Tiger Woods of Pole Vaulting. Is it just because he thrives on pure champion energy, much like Woods does, or is there more to the story?

Mondo Duplantis lived up to the connection with Tiger Woods

Always toe-to-toe with himself, Mondo smashed the pole vault World Record for the 8th time. He cleared 6.24 meters to claim the pole position, which came after 6 unsuccessful feats at the previous indoor event. At 17, a coach from Arkansas, also an Olympic bronze medalist named Earl Bell, was in awe of Mondo’s skill sets. He had therefore stated, “It is off the scale; nobody’s seen anything like this. He’s the Tiger Woods of pole vaulting.” The aforementioned claim ensued from the then 17-year-old’s record-breaking performance as a high schooler.

For three times in a row, he had cleared 19 feet to make Bell admire him to such an extent. Woods, the golfer who stands with 18 World Golf Championships and 82 PGA Tour Event wins, is one of the greatest golfers in history. Having his name alongside such a magnanimous figure is itself a huge matter of respect for Mondo. But from whom did he inherit such fine skills or the sportsmanship?

Mondo’s athletic prowess runs in the blood

Greg Duplantis, the 3x DL champion’s father, was a pole vaulter himself with a personal best of 5.80m under his belt. Mother Helena was a volleyball player and a heptathlon athlete who raised her kids, inculcating athletic spirits in them. Brother Andreas took up pole vaulting as well, but only the family’s youngest son could outgrow the home facility because he was jumping so high.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, quite unsurprisingly, the 24-year-old made it to the gold podium. Willing to keep his winning streak alive, he will be one of the top seeds in the pole vaulting line at the 2024 Paris Olympics. With only 97 days left, the Lafayette native is utilizing his days wisely.